Swine Flu Hits La Salle County Again

A third person living in La Salle County has come down with the Swine Flu.

The La Salle County Health Department says the latest confirmed case is with a 35 year old man. The two previous cases were with a 22 year old and 49 year old woman. The health department isn’t releasing any names.

Swine flu is contagious and is being spread from person to person like a regular flu.

Suspects In Custody For Shooting Near DePue

DePue Police say there was one specific target when shots went off just after midnight this morning.

Officials say they have four suspects in custody but aren’t releasing names just yet. The suspects are being held by Peru Police.

A DePue officer says shots were fired near the Oakbrook Subdivision. The intended target wasn’t hit by any bullets.

Spring Valley Stays In House For Leader

Spring Valley School District’s new superintendent is a familiar face.

James Hermes will replace Dan Marenda as of July 1st. Hermes is currently the principal at John F. Kennedy School in Spring Valley. Marenda left Spring Valley after four years to be the new La Salle Elementary School District superintendent.

Hermes has been with the Spring Valley district since 1998 when he started as an assistant principal.

State budget cuts could affect local services

What the state legislature does or doesn’t do in the next couple weeks has a lot of people nervous.
If a new budget includes $450 million in cuts for the Department of Children and Family Services, places like the La Salle County Children’s Advocacy Center in Ottawa will close. Around 80% of the center’s $100,000 budget comes from a DCFS grant.
The center provides services and assistance to kids who’ve experienced sexual abuse. They saw over 100 children last year.
The center’s Executive Director Laurie McLauglin says she plans on heading to Springfield to plead her case before the budget year ends June 30th. She’s hoping lawmakers “see faces and not just numbers”.

County music concert to help out Holy Family School

A school in Oglesby will be benefitting from this month’s “Concert for a Cause”.
Proceeds from the Little Big Town and Zac Brown Band show June 27th in La Salle will go to help pay for a new gym floor at Holy Family School. The school’s principal says the floor is in poor shape and has become a danger to students and athletes.
The second “Concert for a Cause” is Alan Jackson on July 18th. Money from that show will help Easter Seals.